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10 Reasons why you should hire a professional DJ

Posted on Nov 27 14

Weddings are expensive. Unless you are marvelously wealthy, you probably have a budget that you are struggling to stay within. You may be scrambling for an area to cut costs, asking yourself, “Do we really need a professional wedding DJ?”

Yes. Yes, you do.

Though you may be desperate to economize, do not give in to that temptation to let uncle Earl bring in his sound system and throw on his “Wedding Playlist” or hire your neighbor’s fifteen year old son to provide the evening’s main entertainment. This is one area where you are going to get what you pay for, and you need to be careful about scrimping on the budget. You probably would not ask a family member to make the cake or design your dress, and you should not settle for an amateur DJ either.

Here are 10 reasons why.

Dependability – You are making arrangements for an important day. The most important day. But it is six or more months away, and the teenager you hire today may be less interested or willing when your big day comes. That friend of a friend who thought it would be handy to make a few extra bucks may decide that they have a better offer by the time the date rolls around. What if they just get sick? Don’t be left high and dry.

Professionalism– Your uncle Earl is much more likely to use his time on the microphone to tell inappropriate stories from your childhood than is a professional wedding DJ. Do yourself a favor. Search online for wedding reception disasters and note how many of them are related to DJs behaving badly. It may sound like fun to have a friend or family member running the show, but it has potential to turn into a train wreck.

Reading the Crowd – A DJ is used to watching the crowd and knowing the right moment to bring out a slow song or the chicken dance. They know when to get things moving and when they should fade into the background of a special moment. It’s more than a list of songs that you love, but the right ones at the right times. That premade playlist may start blasting “Baby Got Back” at the most inopportune moment.

Master of Ceremonies – Your DJ is more than somebody to keep the music playing. They serve as host of your reception, your representative to those who you might only get a few moments to speak to. Your DJ is part of the entertainment, energetically announcing fun dances and setting the mood for romantic ones. They are so much more than just somebody who will show up and play music. Your choice can make all the difference in the atmosphere for the party. Do you really want to leave that to your fifteen year old neighbor or somebody you have never even met?

Handling Requests – Maybe uncle Earl refuses to play “that fandangled new stuff” that your younger guests are begging for, or the neighbor boy doesn’t even know who Neil Diamond is. Spinning a mix of new and old, and having it available, to please everybody with appropriate timing is a skill that only a professional DJ will have. Most will have extensive libraries of thousands of songs, and have the expertise to blend them together for an enjoyable evening for all.

Equipment – Are you sure that the amateur equipment that you plan on using is going to be able to boom through a spacious hall? The speakers that seem more than adequate in somebody’s house might be embarrassing inside a room full of 300 people. It’s difficult to dance to whispering lyrics or those that have become distorted by inadequate equipment. What if something breaks? A professional will be prepared for such a possibility with back-up systems available, but your uncle, neighbor, or friend of a friend probably won’t be.

Liability Insurance – If something happens to the DJ’s equipment, you don’t want to be responsible for replacing it. A professional will be covered.

Presentation – A professional DJ will show up looking like one and will treat your guests as such. Do you want your DJ showing up in an Aeropostale t-shirt and ripped jeans? Maybe that friend of a friend is more interested in flirting with the bridesmaids . . . or the bride’s mother! Do not be embarrassed by your Master of Ceremonies. Keep it classy.

Investment – Yours and theirs. You are investing in your own memories and those of everyone who will be in attendance. The DJ has an investment in their business and their reputation. They are going to strive to please you and your guests. They will be dedicated to making the night everything you want it to be. An amateur just does not have the same incentive. They are in it for a few bucks or because they thought they might be able to have some fun and meet some people. Their priorities are not the same as yours. The wrong DJ can turn your dream wedding into a nightmare.

10. Peace of Mind– You are marrying the love of your life and having a fabulous time! The last thing you are going to want to do is worry about whether or not the DJ is showing up, if he has the right music, or if he has drank too much. After all, you are already going to be checking your hair, trying to maneuver in that dress, and keeping the peace between extended family members. Don’t give yourself one more thing to increase your anxiety. Hire a professional DJ, and know that the evening’s entertainment is in good hands. You can relax and enjoy yourself.

Speak to the agency ahead of time, this will allow them to get a better understanding of what it is you’re looking for. They should understand you and your desires for the night. With a good idea of what music you want played and when, they can subtly adjust where needed as the night progresses while keeping things within your desires. The right DJ can help create the wonderful wedding reception that you have been dreaming of.

Choosing the DJ for your wedding is a decision that you will not want to downplay. Think of the weddings you have been to. What made them enjoyable? Why do they stand out in your mind? You are likely remembering a DJ with a great personality, an amazing mix of music, or quality sound. You are going to spend thousands of dollars on your wedding, but being miserly in this category can affect the whole night. If guests start leaving early because they are bored or the DJ is rude, they are not going to stick around because your dress is gorgeous. This is an investment worth making.

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19 responses to “10 Reasons why you should hire a professional DJ”

I have been to a couple of weddings where they didn’t hire a full on professional DJ, it was just someone who sort of knew what they were doing and you could really tell the difference in know how. Not only were there missed song requests, bad change overs from one song to another, and even long silences but they just didn’t know how to change up the playlist to match the mood in the reception hall. Always get someone who is a professional, because their experiences will make yours so much better.

Hi Chantelle, thanks for stopping by, it’s always good to hear the experience others have had. Here at earcandy our DJ’s are the best in the industry and with the huge amount of positive feedback we get they are clearly a hit. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this. Yes, liability insurance is always something to pay attention to – especially when you’ve got intoxicated relatives staggering around in the midst of expensive DJ equipment – but the most important point that jumped off the screen at me was “reading the crowd”! I made the mistake of letting a coworker of mine DJ my wedding, and to this day I just don’t have the heart to tell him that it was a disaster! A professional DJ who knows how to read the audience will make sure you’re guests are vibing and having a great time for the entire affair! Hire… A… Professional! You don’t have to take my word for it though. Check out this site to read even more reasons why you shouldn’t allow an amateur to DJ your wedding: http://www.bookmorebrides.com/9-reasons-why-hiring-an-amateur-wedding-dj-is-a-huge-mistake/

Hey guys. I want to throw my two cents in here back you up on this one. My daughter’s wedding was one of the most emotional days of my life. It’s hard to give your daughter away, but it was also great to see her so happy & ready to begin her own family life. When the reception came around, I was mortified by the DJ she and her husband had chosen to entertain everyone. I won’t go into a full-on rant here, but I will just say this: The old adage ‘you get what you pay for’ is 100% true. If you’re struggling to pay for your wedding, or if you’re just looking to plan a wedding on a budget, turn to the trusty internet (like this site here!) and you’re sure to find some great ideas that won’t require you to skimp on the important stuff! Here’s an example of what’s out there: http://thebudgetsavvybride.com/

Hi Susan. Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know about your experience, we’re glad this article has helped you and of course we always advise hiring the professionals. Great link you added there! For more information on our DJ’s available please visit our DJ page.

Thanks Lucas! We’re sorry to hear the DJ wasn’t great, here at earcandy we ensure all our DJ’s are the best in the industry and our service to price level is second to none in the UK. If anybody would like further information then please visit our DJ act page or feel free to get in touch with one of our team who will be more than happy to help you out.

SO TRUE! All of it! I’ve been to some disastrous weddings because someone didn’t pick a professional. It so worth it for the peace of mind you’ll have knowing things are being taken care of by someone who does this for a living and knows how to go with the flow with finesse.

Let me say that your 10 reasons to hire a professional DJ are 100% on-point. I was fortunate enough to have received a very professional experience at my wedding, but I have been to countless weddings where the reception just fell flat because there was no true entertainment. A professional DJ has no problem being able to read a crowd, and being able to play music that will keep the entire gathering entertained & dancing!

Thanks for this great article! Professional DJs put lots of work into what they do, and spend hours working on their style, knowledge of both old and new songs, and work on the proper flow. Still, there are always those who hire their clueless relatives or friends. I’ll never forget the wedding I went to with the DJ who was totally out to lunch. It was totally mortifying. Really, some things are better left unsaid. If you need a laugh, this parody video shows how bad things can be: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eokSzeNsA0c

It’s always good to hear real world experiences from our readers, we’re sorry the DJ didn’t work out for you on these occasions, it’s worth spending that little bit extra to hire a professional DJ and take the stress away for the day. Thanks for the comments Lily.

Thanks Amy, we couldn’t agree more, and although we don’t want to take away from all the hardworking DJ’s out there we do think when it comes to your entertainment it’s sometimes better to let the professionals handle it all, it takes so much stress away and allows you to get on and enjoy the day.

Thanks Ann! We couldn’t agree more and although there are some great DJ’s out there it’s important to know you’re covered by professionals who have been the industry for a long time. We offer a professional DJ service second to none and like to think of ourselves as the UK’s leading DJ selection agency.

These are all great reasons to hire a DJ for your wedding – we had a DJ and loved it. It meant that we could discuss with him beforehand a list of tracks we definitely wanted to hear and he was amazing as our first dance song was pretty obscure but he tracked it down for us and it totally made the night! I agree with what you said about reading the crowd too, a proper DJ knows when to pick things up and help everyone have a good time.

Hi Louisa, it’s always great to hear when people have had enjoyable experiences. Here at earcandy we hand pick only the best wedding DJ’s in the UK and we guarantee all of our performances. With our trademarked BigSound technology we are able to deliver a musical performance that is second to none. If you would like any further information please check out our DJ’s for hire or feel free to get in touch with one of our entertainment team who will be more than happy to help.

Thanks for these great advices! I agree! Lots of people spend more than a year or even more planning every detail of their wedding and hiring professional DJ is very important part. A real professional has lots of experience and a great knowledge of almost all kinds of music. It’s very risky to hire some amateur DJ.

I agree with you here regarding hire a professional band for dj. If you depend on any unprofessional or newbie dj then it can be go wrong. Maybe they can not play according to the audience or event. And you always miss the professional touch in that. Better to go with professional band or dj.